PCIe traffic tracking hardware in a unified virtual memory system

ABSTRACT

Techniques are disclosed for tracking memory page accesses in a unified virtual memory system. An access tracking unit detects a memory page access generated by a first processor for accessing a memory page in a memory system of a second processor. The access tracking unit determines whether a cache memory includes an entry for the memory page. If so, then the access tracking unit increments an associated access counter. Otherwise, the access tracking unit attempts to find an unused entry in the cache memory that is available for allocation. If so, then the access tracking unit associates the second entry with the memory page, and sets an access counter associated with the second entry to an initial value. Otherwise, the access tracking unit selects a valid entry in the cache memory; clears an associated valid bit; associates the entry with the memory page; and initializes an associated access counter.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of the co-pending U.S. patentapplication titled, “PCIE TRAFFIC TRACKING HARDWARE IN A UNIFIED VIRTUALMEMORY SYSTEM,” filed on Dec. 9, 2013 and having Ser. No. 14/101,246,which claims priority benefit of United States provisional patentapplication titled “PCIE TRAFFIC TRACKING HARDWARE IN A UNIFIED VIRTUALMEMORY SYSTEM,” filed Mar. 14, 2013, and having Application Ser. No.61/785,641, and also claims priority benefit of United Statesprovisional patent application titled “CPU-TO-GPU AND GPU-TO-GPUATOMICS,” filed Mar. 15, 2013, and having Application Ser. No.61/800,004. The subject matter of these related applications is herebyincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to computerscience and, more specifically, to PCIe traffic tracking hardware in aunified virtual memory system.

Description of the Related Art

Multiprocessor systems typically include one or more shared memoryspaces where two or more processers store and load data to and from acommon set of memory pages. In such multiprocessor systems, a firstprocessor may access shared memory pages over a communications path,where the shared memory pages are mapped to a local memory of a secondprocessor. The second processor may map the shared memory pages to alocal memory space, such that the second processor accesses the sharedmemory with relatively low latency. The first processor accesses thisshared memory over the communications path with relatively high latencyas compared with the second processor. Mapping shared memory pages inthis fashion may provide efficient shared memory access if the secondprocessor accesses such shared memory pages more often, on average, thanthe first processor.

If, on the other hand, the first processor accesses certain sharedmemory pages more often than the second processor, then shared memoryaccess time may be improved by migrating such pages from the localmemory space of the second processor to the local memory space of thefirst processor. These pages may be identified by invalidating all pagetable entries associated with the first processor's shared memory pageaddresses for a specified measurement interval. During the measurementinterval, page faults resulting from accesses by the first processor toshared memory are counted. At the end of the interval, shared memorypages accessed with relatively high frequency by the first processor maybe migrated from the local memory of the second processor to the localmemory of the first processor. After these pages are migrated, the firstprocessor may access the migrated shared memory pages with lower latencyas compared with accessing the pages over the communications path.

One drawback of this approach is that performance of first processor isreduced during the measurement interval. This reduction in performanceresults from the computing time needed to service the resulting pagefaults. Such reductions in performance to service page faults decreasesthe performance advantage of migrating the shared memory pages in thefirst instance.

Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a more effective way toidentify frequent shared memory page accesses in a multiprocessorsystem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method for trackingmemory page accesses in a unified virtual memory system. The methodincludes detecting a memory page access generated by a first processorfor accessing a memory page in a memory system that is associated with asecond processor. The method further includes determining whether acache memory associated with the first processor includes a first entrycorresponding to an address associated with the memory page. If thecache memory includes the first entry, then the method further includesincrementing an access counter associated with the first entry thatcounts accesses of the memory page. If the cache memory does not includethe first entry, then the method further includes attempting to find asecond entry in the cache memory that is available for allocation. If asecond entry in the cache memory is available for allocation; then themethod further includes associating the second entry with the memorypage; and setting an access counter associated with the second entry toan initial value. If a second entry in the cache memory is not availablefor allocation; then the method further includes selecting a valid entryin the cache memory; clearing a valid bit included in the selectedentry; associating the selected entry with the memory page; and settingan access counter associated with the selected entry to an initialvalue.

Other embodiments include, without limitation, a subsystem including anaccess tracking unit that implements one or more aspects of thedisclosed methods, and a computing device configured to implement one ormore aspects of the disclosed methods.

One advantage of the disclosed approach is that shared memory pages thatare candidates for migrating from one memory space to another arequickly and efficiently identified without inducing page faults for eachshared memory accesses.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that the manner in which the above recited features of the presentinvention can be understood in detail, a more particular description ofthe invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference toembodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Itis to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate onlytypical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to beconsidered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to otherequally effective embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a computer system configured toimplement one or more aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a unified virtual memory (UVM)system, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates an access cache memory as maintained by the accesstracking unit of FIG. 2, according to one embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIGS. 4A-4C set forth a flow diagram of method steps for tracking memorypage accesses in a unified virtual memory system, according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth toprovide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. However,it will be apparent to one of skill in the art that the presentinvention may be practiced without one or more of these specificdetails.

Memory pages in a memory system that are shared between a firstprocessor and a second processor may reside in the memory space of oneof the two processors. One of the processors may be a central processingunit (CPU) while the other processor may be a parallel processing unit(PPU), such as a graphics processing unit (GPU). For example, a sharedmemory page may reside in the CPU memory system, even though both theCPU and the GPU access the memory page. Typically, CPU accesses of sucha shared memory page have relatively low access times, while GPUaccesses of a CPU-shared memory page may have relatively higher accesstimes. If the GPU frequently accesses such a shared memory page, thenGPU performance may be reduced. On the other hand, GPU accesses ofGPU-owned memory pages typically have relatively low access times. As aresult, performance may be improved if CPU-shared memory pages that areaccessed relatively frequently by the GPU are migrated to the GPU memorysystem.

The access tracker described herein includes a cache memory thatincludes a quantity of cache entries, where each cache entry includes acount of the number of times a first processor (such as a GPU) accessesa particular memory page or group of memory pages, such as a sharedmemory page, or group of memory pages, stored in the CPU memory system.For example, if the cache memory includes sixteen entries, then theaccess tracker can count the accesses for up to sixteen different memorypages, or sixteen different groups of memory pages. Entries in theaccess tracker may be allocated dynamically as new pages are accessed bythe CPU. A CPU-shared memory page associated with a cache entry that hasa high access count may be a good candidate for migration from the CPUmemory system to the GPU memory system. By contrast, a CPU-shared memorypage associated with a cache entry that has a low access count mayremain in the CPU memory system.

In some embodiments, the access tracker may receive commands to read thecache entries and invalidate all cache entries in the cache memory. Ifan access is detected to a new memory page, and all cache entries in thecache memory are already allocated, then the access tracker mayinvalidate a cache entry, and allocate the cache entry for the newmemory page. For example, the access tracker could invalidate the cacheentry with the lowest counter value.

In addition, the cache tracker may include a threshold value, where theaccess tracker indicates when a counter has reached the threshold value,such as by setting a flag or causing a trap or interrupt to occur. Whena counter reaches a threshold value, the associated memory page is beingfrequently accessed by the GPU. The CPU or the GPU may respond bymigrating the associated memory page from the CPU memory system to theGPU memory system. Cache entries may be preset, allowing the accesstracker to monitor specific predefined memory pages. In someembodiments, the access tracker may maintain a list of barred memorypages that may not be allocated to a cache entry.

System Overview

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a computer system 100 configuredto implement one or more aspects of the present invention. Computersystem 100 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 102 and a systemmemory 104 communicating via an interconnection path that may include amemory bridge 105. Memory bridge 105, which may be, e.g., a Northbridgechip, is connected via a bus or other communication path 106 (e.g., aHyperTransport link) to an I/O (input/output) bridge 107. I/O bridge107, which may be, e.g., a Southbridge chip, receives user input fromone or more user input devices 108 (e.g., keyboard, mouse) and forwardsthe input to CPU 102 via communication path 106 and memory bridge 105. Aparallel processing subsystem 112 is coupled to memory bridge 105 via abus or second communication path 113 (e.g., a Peripheral ComponentInterconnect (PCI) Express, Accelerated Graphics Port, or HyperTransportlink); in one embodiment parallel processing subsystem 112 is a graphicssubsystem that delivers pixels to a display device 110 that may be anyconventional cathode ray tube, liquid crystal display, light-emittingdiode display, or the like. A system disk 114 is also connected to I/Obridge 107 and may be configured to store content and applications anddata for use by CPU 102 and parallel processing subsystem 112. Systemdisk 114 provides non-volatile storage for applications and data and mayinclude fixed or removable hard disk drives, flash memory devices, andCD-ROM (compact disc read-only-memory), DVD-ROM (digital versatiledisc-ROM), Blu-ray, HD-DVD (high definition DVD), or other magnetic,optical, or solid state storage devices.

A switch 116 provides connections between I/O bridge 107 and othercomponents such as a network adapter 118 and various add-in cards 120and 121. Other components (not explicitly shown), including universalserial bus (USB) or other port connections, compact disc (CD) drives,digital versatile disc (DVD) drives, film recording devices, and thelike, may also be connected to I/O bridge 107. The various communicationpaths shown in FIG. 1, including the specifically named communicationpaths 106 and 113 may be implemented using any suitable protocols, suchas PCI Express, AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port), HyperTransport, or anyother bus or point-to-point communication protocol(s), and connectionsbetween different devices may use different protocols as is known in theart.

In one embodiment, the parallel processing subsystem 112 incorporatescircuitry optimized for graphics and video processing, including, forexample, video output circuitry, and constitutes one or more parallelprocessing units (PPUs) 202. In another embodiment, the parallelprocessing subsystem 112 incorporates circuitry optimized for generalpurpose processing, while preserving the underlying computationalarchitecture, described in greater detail herein. In yet anotherembodiment, the parallel processing subsystem 112 may be integrated withone or more other system elements in a single subsystem, such as joiningthe memory bridge 105, CPU 102, and I/O bridge 107 to form a system onchip (SoC). As is well-known, many graphics processing units (GPUs) aredesigned to perform parallel operations and computations and, thus, areconsidered to be a class of parallel processing unit (PPU).

Any number of PPUs 202 can be included in a parallel processingsubsystem 112. For instance, multiple PPUs 202 can be provided on asingle add-in card, or multiple add-in cards can be connected tocommunication path 113, or one or more of PPUs 202 can be integratedinto a bridge chip. PPUs 202 in a multi-PPU system may be identical toor different from one another. For instance, different PPUs 202 mighthave different numbers of processing cores, different amounts of localparallel processing memory, and so on. Where multiple PPUs 202 arepresent, those PPUs may be operated in parallel to process data at ahigher throughput than is possible with a single PPU 202. Systemsincorporating one or more PPUs 202 may be implemented in a variety ofconfigurations and form factors, including desktop, laptop, or handheldpersonal computers, servers, workstations, game consoles, embeddedsystems, and the like.

PPU 202 advantageously implements a highly parallel processingarchitecture. PPU 202 includes a number of general processing clusters(GPCs). Each GPC is capable of executing a large number (e.g., hundredsor thousands) of threads concurrently, where each thread is an instanceof a program. In some embodiments, single-instruction, multiple-data(SIMD) instruction issue techniques are used to support parallelexecution of a large number of threads without providing multipleindependent instruction units. In other embodiments, single-instruction,multiple-thread (SIMT) techniques are used to support parallel executionof a large number of generally synchronized threads. Unlike a SIMDexecution regime, where all processing engines typically executeidentical instructions, SIMT execution allows different threads to morereadily follow divergent execution paths through a given thread program.

GPCs include a number of streaming multiprocessors (SMs), where each SMis configured to process one or more thread groups. The series ofinstructions transmitted to a particular GPC constitutes a thread, aspreviously defined herein, and the collection of a certain number ofconcurrently executing threads across the parallel processing engineswithin an SM is referred to herein as a “warp” or “thread group.” Asused herein, a “thread group” refers to a group of threads concurrentlyexecuting the same program on different input data, with one thread ofthe group being assigned to a different processing engine within an SM.Additionally, a plurality of related thread groups may be active (indifferent phases of execution) at the same time within an SM. Thiscollection of thread groups is referred to herein as a “cooperativethread array” (“CTA”) or “thread array.”

In embodiments of the present invention, it is desirable to use PPU 202or other processor(s) of a computing system to execute general-purposecomputations using thread arrays. Each thread in the thread array isassigned a unique thread identifier (“thread ID”) that is accessible tothe thread during the thread's execution. The thread ID, which can bedefined as a one-dimensional or multi-dimensional numerical valuecontrols various aspects of the thread's processing behavior. Forinstance, a thread ID may be used to determine which portion of theinput data set a thread is to process and/or to determine which portionof an output data set a thread is to produce or write.

In operation, CPU 102 is the master processor of computer system 100,controlling and coordinating operations of other system components. Inparticular, CPU 102 issues commands that control the operation of PPUs202. In one embodiment, communication path 113 is a PCI Express link, inwhich dedicated lanes are allocated to each PPU 202, as is known in theart. Other communication paths may also be used. PPU 202 advantageouslyimplements a highly parallel processing architecture. A PPU 202 may beprovided with any amount of local parallel processing memory (PPUmemory).

In some embodiments, system memory 104 includes a unified virtual memory(UVM) driver 101. The UVM driver 101 includes instructions forperforming various tasks related to management of a unified virtualmemory (UVM) system common to both the CPU 102 and the PPUs 202. Amongother things, the architecture enables the CPU 102 and the PPU 202 toaccess a physical memory location using a common virtual memory address,regardless of whether the physical memory location is within the systemmemory 104 or memory local to the PPU 202.

It will be appreciated that the system shown herein is illustrative andthat variations and modifications are possible. The connection topology,including the number and arrangement of bridges, the number of CPUs 102,and the number of parallel processing subsystems 112, may be modified asdesired. For instance, in some embodiments, system memory 104 isconnected to CPU 102 directly rather than through a bridge, and otherdevices communicate with system memory 104 via memory bridge 105 and CPU102. In other alternative topologies, parallel processing subsystem 112is connected to I/O bridge 107 or directly to CPU 102, rather than tomemory bridge 105. In still other embodiments, I/O bridge 107 and memorybridge 105 might be integrated into a single chip instead of existing asone or more discrete devices. Large embodiments may include two or moreCPUs 102 and two or more parallel processing subsystems 112. Theparticular components shown herein are optional; for instance, anynumber of add-in cards or peripheral devices might be supported. In someembodiments, switch 116 is eliminated, and network adapter 118 andadd-in cards 120, 121 connect directly to I/O bridge 107.

Unified Virtual Memory System Architecture

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a unified virtual memory (UVM)system 200, according to one embodiment of the present invention. Asshown, the unified virtual memory system 200 includes, withoutlimitation, the CPU 102, the system memory 104, and the parallelprocessing unit (PPU) 202 coupled to a parallel processing unit memory(PPU memory) 204. The CPU 102 and the system memory 104 are coupled toeach other and to the PPU 202 via the memory bridge 105.

The CPU 102 executes threads that may request data stored in the systemmemory 104 or the PPU memory 204 via a virtual memory address. Virtualmemory addresses shield threads executing in the CPU 102 from knowledgeabout the internal workings of a memory system. Thus, a thread may onlyhave knowledge of virtual memory addresses, and may access data byrequesting data via a virtual memory address.

The CPU 102 includes a CPU MMU 209, which processes requests from theCPU 102 for translating virtual memory addresses to physical memoryaddresses. The physical memory addresses are required to access datastored in a physical memory unit such as the system memory 104 and thePPU memory 204. The CPU 102 includes a CPU fault handler 211, whichexecutes steps in response to the CPU MMU 209 generating a page fault,to make requested data available to the CPU 102. The CPU fault handler211 is generally software that resides in the system memory 104 andexecutes on the CPU 102, the software being invoked by an interrupt tothe CPU 102.

The system memory 104 stores various memory pages (not shown) thatinclude data for use by threads executing on the CPU 102 or the PPU 202.As shown, the system memory 104 stores a CPU page table 206, whichincludes mappings between virtual memory addresses and physical memoryaddresses. The system memory 104 also stores a page state directory 210,which acts as a “master page table” for the UVM system 200, as isdiscussed in greater detail below. The system memory 104 stores a faultbuffer 216, which includes entries written by the PPU 202 in order toinform the CPU 102 of a page fault generated by the PPU 202. In someembodiments, the system memory 104 includes the unified virtual memory(UVM) driver 101, which includes instructions that, when executed, causethe CPU 102 to execute commands for, among other things, remedying apage fault. In alternative embodiments, any combination of the pagestate directory 210, the fault buffer 216, and one or more commandqueues 214 may be stored in the PPU memory 204. Further, a PPU pagetable 208 may be stored in the system memory 104.

In a similar manner as with the CPU 102, the PPU 202 executesinstructions that may request data stored in the system memory 104 orthe PPU memory 204 via a virtual memory address. The PPU 202 includes aPPU MMU 213, which processes requests from the PPU 202 for translatingvirtual memory addresses to physical memory addresses. The PPU 202 alsoincludes a copy engine 212, which executes commands stored in thecommand queue 214 for copying memory pages, modifying data in the PPUpage table 208, and other commands. A PPU fault handler 215 executessteps in response to a page fault on the PPU 202. The PPU fault handler215 can be software running on a processor or dedicated microcontrollerin the PPU 202. Alternatively, the PPU fault handler 215 can becombination of software running on the CPU 102 and software running onthe dedicated microcontroller in the PPU 202, communicating with eachother. In some embodiments, the CPU fault handler 211 and the PPU faulthandler 215 can be a unified software program that is invoked by a faulton either the CPU 102 or the PPU 202. The command queue 214 may be ineither the PPU memory 204 or the system memory 104, but ispreferentially located in the system memory 104.

In some embodiments, the CPU fault handler 211 and the UVM driver 101may be a unified software program. In such cases, the unified softwareprogram may be software that resides in the system memory 104 andexecutes on the CPU 102. The PPU fault handler 215 may be a separatesoftware program running on a processor or dedicated microcontroller inthe PPU 202, or the PPU fault handler 215 may be a separate softwareprogram running on the CPU 102.

In other embodiments, the PPU fault handler 215 and the UVM driver 101may be a unified software program. In such cases, the unified softwareprogram may be software that resides in the system memory 104 andexecutes on the CPU 102. The CPU fault handler 211 may be a separatesoftware program that resides in the system memory 104 and executes onthe CPU 102.

In other embodiments, the CPU fault handler 211, the PPU fault handler215, and the UVM driver 101 may be a unified software program. In suchcases, the unified software program may be software that resides in thesystem memory 104 and executes on the CPU 102.

In some embodiments, the CPU fault handler 211, the PPU fault handler215, and the UVM driver 101 may all reside in system memory 104, asdescribed above. As shown in FIG. 2, the UVM driver 101 resides insystem memory 104, while the CPU fault handler 211 and the PPU faulthandler 215 reside in the CPU 102.

The CPU fault handler 211 and the PPU fault handler 215 are responsiveto hardware interrupts that may emanate from the CPU 102 or the PPU 202,such as interrupts resulting from a page fault. As further describedbelow, the UVM driver 101 includes instructions for performing varioustasks related to management of the UVM system 200, including, withoutlimitation, remedying a page fault, and accessing the CPU page table206, the page state directory 210, and/or the fault buffer 216.

In some embodiments, the CPU page table 206 and the PPU page table 208have different formats, and contain different information; for example,the PPU page table 208 may contain the following while the CPU pagetable 206 does not: atomic disable bit; compression tags; and memoryswizzling type.

In a similar manner as with the system memory 104, the PPU memory 204stores various memory pages (not shown). As shown, the PPU memory 204also includes the PPU page table 208, which includes mappings betweenvirtual memory addresses and physical memory addresses. Alternatively,the PPU page table 208 may be stored in the system memory 104.

Translating Virtual Memory Addresses

When a thread executing in the CPU 102 requests data via a virtualmemory address, the CPU 102 requests translation of the virtual memoryaddress to a physical memory address, from the CPU memory managementunit (CPU MMU) 209. In response, the CPU MMU 209 attempts to translatethe virtual memory address into a physical memory address, whichspecifies a location in a memory unit, such as the system memory 104,that stores the data requested by the CPU 102.

To translate a virtual memory address to a physical memory address, theCPU MMU 209 performs a lookup operation to determine if the CPU pagetable 206 includes a mapping associated with the virtual memory address.In addition to a virtual memory address, a request to access data mayalso indicate a virtual memory address space. The unified virtual memorysystem 200 may implement multiple virtual memory address spaces, each ofwhich is assigned to one or more threads. Virtual memory addresses areunique within any given virtual memory address space. Further, virtualmemory addresses within a given virtual memory address space areconsistent across the CPU 102 and the PPU 202, thereby allowing the samevirtual address to refer to the same data across the CPU 102 and the PPU202. In some embodiments, two virtual memory addresses may refer to thesame data, but may not map to the same physical memory address (e.g.,the CPU 102 and the PPU 202 may each have a local read-only copy of thedata.)

For any given virtual memory address, the CPU page table 206 may or maynot include a mapping between the virtual memory address and a physicalmemory address. If the CPU page table 206 includes a mapping, then theCPU MMU 209 reads that mapping to determine a physical memory addressassociated with the virtual memory address and provides that physicalmemory address to the CPU 102. However, if the CPU page table 206 doesnot include a mapping associated with the virtual memory address, thenthe CPU MMU 209 is unable to translate the virtual memory address into aphysical memory address, and the CPU MMU 209 generates a page fault. Toremedy a page fault and make the requested data available to the CPU102, a “page fault sequence” is executed. More specifically, the CPU 102reads the PSD 210 to find the current mapping state of the page and thendetermines the appropriate page fault sequence. The page fault sequencegenerally maps the memory page associated with the requested virtualmemory address or changes the types of accesses permitted (e.g., readaccess, write access, atomic access). The different types of page faultsequences implemented in the UVM system 200 are discussed in greaterdetail below.

Within the UVM system 200, data associated with a given virtual memoryaddress may be stored in the system memory 104, in the PPU memory 204,or in both the system memory 104 and the PPU memory 204 as read-onlycopies of the same data. Further, for any such data, either or both ofthe CPU page table 206 or the PPU page table 208 may include a mappingassociated with that data. Notably, some data exists for which a mappingexists in one page table, but not in the other. However, the PSD 210includes all mappings stored in the PPU page table 208, and thePPU-relevant mappings stored in the CPU page table 206. The PSD 210 thusfunctions as a “master” page table for the unified virtual memory system200. Therefore, when the CPU MMU 209 does not find a mapping in the CPUpage table 206 associated with a particular virtual memory address, theCPU 102 reads the PSD 210 to determine whether the PSD 210 includes amapping associated with that virtual memory address. Various embodimentsof the PSD 210 may include different types of information associatedwith virtual memory addresses in addition to mappings associated withthe virtual memory address.

When the CPU MMU 209 generates a page fault, the CPU fault handler 211executes a sequence of operations for the appropriate page faultsequence to remedy the page fault. Again, during a page fault sequence,the CPU 102 reads the PSD 210 and executes additional operations inorder to change the mappings or permissions within the CPU page table206 and the PPU page table 208. Such operations may include readingand/or modifying the CPU page table 206, reading and/or modifying pagestate directory 210 entries, and/or migrating blocks of data referred toas “memory pages” between memory units (e.g., the system memory 104 andthe PPU memory 204).

To determine which operations to execute in a page fault sequence, theCPU 102 identifies the memory page associated with the virtual memoryaddress. The CPU 102 then reads state information for the memory pagefrom the PSD 210 related to the virtual memory address associated withthe memory access request that caused the page fault. Such stateinformation may include, among other things, an ownership state for thememory page associated with the virtual memory address. For any givenmemory page, several ownership states are possible. For example, amemory page may be “CPU-owned,” “PPU-owned,” or “CPU-shared.” A memorypage is considered CPU-owned if the CPU 102 can access the memory pagevia a virtual address, and if the PPU 202 cannot access the memory pagevia a virtual address without causing a page fault. Preferably, aCPU-owned page resides in the system memory 104, but can reside in thePPU memory 204. A memory page is considered PPU-owned if the PPU 202 canaccess the page via a virtual address, and if the CPU 102 cannot accessthe memory page via a virtual address without causing a page fault.Preferably, a PPU-owned page resides in the PPU memory 204, but canreside in the system memory 104 when migration from the system memory104 to the PPU memory 204 is not done, generally due to the short-termnature of the PPU ownership. Finally, a memory page is consideredCPU-shared if the memory page is stored in the system memory 104 and amapping to the memory page exists in the PPU page table 208 that allowsthe PPU 202 to access the memory page in the system memory 104 via avirtual memory address.

The UVM system 200 may assign ownership states to memory pages based ona variety of factors, including the usage history of the memory page.Usage history may include information regarding whether the CPU 102 orthe PPU 202 accessed the memory page recently, and how many times suchaccesses were made. For example, the UVM system 200 may assign anownership state of “CPU-owned” for a given memory page and locate thepage in system memory 104 if, based on the usage history of the memorypage, the UVM system 200 determines that the memory page is likely to beused mostly or only by the CPU 102. Similarly, the UVM system 200 mayassign an ownership of “PPU-owned” for a given memory page and locatethe page in PPU memory 204 if, based on the usage history of the memorypage, the UVM system 200 determines that the memory page is likely to beused mostly or only by the PPU 202. Finally, the UVM system 200 mayassign an ownership of “CPU-shared” for a given memory page if, based onthe usage history of the memory page, the UVM system 200 determines thatthe memory page is likely to be used both by the CPU 102 and by the PPU202, and that migrating the memory page back and forth from the systemmemory 104 to the PPU memory 204 would consume too much time.

As examples, the fault handlers 211 and 215 can implement any or all ofthe following heuristics for migrating:

-   -   (a) on the CPU 102 access to an unmapped page that is mapped to        the PPU 202, that has not been recently migrated, unmap the        faulting page from the PPU 202, migrate the page to the CPU 102,        and map the page to the CPU 102;    -   (b) on the PPU 202 access to an unmapped page that is mapped to        the CPU 102, that has not been recently migrated, unmap the        faulting page from the CPU 102, migrate the page to the PPU 202,        and map the page to the PPU 202;    -   (c) on the CPU 102 access to an unmapped page that is mapped to        the PPU 202, that has been recently migrated, migrate the        faulting page to the CPU 102 and map the page on both the CPU        102 and the PPU 202;    -   (d) on the PPU 102 access to an unmapped page that is mapped on        the CPU 102, that has been recently migrated, map the page to        both the CPU 102 and the PPU 202;    -   (e) on the PPU 102 atomic access to page that is mapped to both        the CPU 102 and the PPU 202 but not enabled for atomic        operations by the PPU 202, unmap the page from the CPU 102, and        map to the PPU 202 with atomic operations enabled;    -   (f) on the PPU 102 write access to page that is mapped on the        CPU 102 and PPU 202 as copy-on-write (COW), copy the page to the        PPU 202, thereby making independent copies of the page, mapping        the new page as read-write on the PPU, and leaving the current        page as mapped on the CPU 102;    -   (g) on the PPU 102 read access to page that is mapped on the CPU        102 and PPU 202 as zero-fill-on-demand (ZFOD), allocate a page        of physical memory on the PPU 202 and fill it with zeros, and        map that page on the PPU, but change it to unmapped on the CPU        102.    -   (h) on an access by a first PPU 202(1) to an unmapped page that        is mapped on a second PPU 202(2), that has not been recently        migrated, unmap the faulting page from the second PPU 202(2),        migrate the page to the first PPU 202(1), and map the page to        the first PPU 202(1); and    -   (i) on an access by a first PPU 202(1) to an unmapped page that        is mapped on a second PPU 202(2), that has been recently        migrated, map the faulting page to the first PPU 202(1), and        keep the mapping of the page on the second PPU 202(2).        In sum, many heuristic rules are possible, and the scope of the        present invention is not limited to these examples.

In addition, any migration heuristic can “round up” to include morepages or a larger page size, for example:

-   -   (j) on the CPU 102 access to an unmapped page that is mapped to        the PPU 202, that has not been recently migrated, unmap the        faulting page, plus additional pages that are adjacent to the        faulting page in the virtual address space, from the PPU 202,        migrate the pages to the CPU 102, and map the pages to the CPU        102 (in more detailed example: for a 4 kB faulted page, migrate        the aligned 64 kB region that includes the 4 kB faulted page);    -   (k) on the PPU 202 access to an unmapped page that is mapped to        the CPU 102, that has not been recently migrated, unmap the        faulting page, plus additional pages that are adjacent to the        faulting page in the virtual address space, from the CPU 102,        migrate the pages to the PPU 202, and map the pages to the PPU        202 (in more detailed example: for a 4 kB faulted page, migrate        the aligned 64 kB region that includes the 4 kB faulted page);    -   (l) on the CPU 102 access to an unmapped page that is mapped to        the PPU 202, that has not been recently migrated, unmap the        faulting page, plus additional pages that are adjacent to the        faulting page in the virtual address space, from the PPU 202,        migrate the pages to the CPU 102, map the pages to the CPU 102,        and treat all the migrated pages as one or more larger pages on        the CPU 102 (in more detailed example: for a 4 kB faulted page,        migrate the aligned 64 kB region that includes the 4 kB faulted        page, and treat the aligned 64 kB region as a 64 kB page);    -   (m) on the PPU 202 access to an unmapped page that is mapped on        the CPU 102, that has not been recently migrated, unmap the        faulting page, plus additional pages that are adjacent to the        faulting page in the virtual address space, from the CPU 102,        migrate the pages to the PPU 202, map the pages to the PPU 202,        and treat all the migrated pages as one or more larger pages on        the PPU 202 (in more detailed example: for a 4 kB faulted page,        migrate the aligned 64 kB region that includes the 4 kB faulted        page, and treat the aligned 64 kB region as a 64 kB page);    -   (n) on the access by a first PPU 202(1) to an unmapped page that        is mapped to a second PPU 202(2), that has not been recently        migrated, unmap the faulting page, plus additional pages that        are adjacent to the faulting page in the virtual address space,        from the second PPU 202(2), migrate the pages to the first PPU        202(1), and map the pages to the first PPU 202(1); and    -   (o) on an access by a first PPU 202(1) to an unmapped page that        is mapped to a second PPU 202(2), that has been recently        migrated, map the faulting page, plus additional pages that are        adjacent to the faulting page in the virtual address space, to        the first PPU 202(1), and keep the mapping of the page on the        second PPU 202(2).        In sum, many heuristic rules that include “rounding up” are        possible, and scope of the present invention is not limited to        these examples.

In some embodiments, the PSD entries may include transitional stateinformation to ensure proper synchronization between various requestsmade by units within the CPU 102 and the PPU 202. For example, a PSD 210entry may include a transitional state indicating that a particular pageis in the process of being transitioned from CPU-owned to PPU-owned.Various units in the CPU 102 and the PPU 202, such as the CPU faulthandler 211 and the PPU fault handler 215, upon determining that a pageis in such a transitional state, may forego portions of a page faultsequence to avoid steps in a page fault sequence triggered by a priorvirtual memory access to the same virtual memory address. As a specificexample, if a page fault results in a page being migrated from thesystem memory 104 to the PPU memory 204, a different page fault thatwould cause the same migration is detected and does not cause anotherpage migration. Further, various units in the CPU 102 and the PPU 202may implement atomic operations for proper ordering of operations on thePSD 210. For example, for modifications to PSD 210 entries, the CPUfault handler 211 or the PPU fault handler 215 may issue an atomiccompare and swap operation to modify the page state of a particularentry in the PSD 210. Consequently, the modification is done withoutinterference by operations from other units.

Multiple PSDs 210 may be stored in the system memory 104—one for eachvirtual memory address space. A memory access request generated byeither the CPU 102 or the PPU 202 may therefore include a virtual memoryaddress and also identify the virtual memory address space associatedwith that virtual memory address.

Just as the CPU 102 may execute memory access requests that includevirtual memory addresses (i.e., instructions that include requests toaccess data via a virtual memory address), the PPU 202 may also executesimilar types of memory access requests. More specifically, the PPU 202includes a plurality of execution units, such as GPCs and SMs, describedabove in conjunction with FIG. 1, that are configured to executemultiple threads and thread groups. In operation, those threads mayrequest data from memory (e.g., the system memory 104 or the PPU memory204) by specifying a virtual memory address. Just as with the CPU 102and the CPU MMU 209, the PPU 202 includes the PPU memory management unit(MMU) 213. The PPU MMU 213 receives requests for translation of virtualmemory addresses from the PPU 202, and attempts to provide a translationfrom the PPU page table 208 for the virtual memory addresses.

Similar to the CPU page table 206, the PPU page table 208 includesmappings between virtual memory addresses and physical memory addresses.As is also the case with the CPU page table 206, for any given virtualaddress, the PPU page table 208 may not include a page table entry thatmaps the virtual memory address to a physical memory address. As withthe CPU MMU 209, when the PPU MMU 213 requests a translation for avirtual memory address from the PPU page table 208 and either no mappingexists in the PPU page table 208 or the type of access is not allowed bythe PPU page table 208, the PPU MMU 213 generates a page fault.Subsequently, the PPU fault handler 215 triggers a page fault sequence.Again, the different types of page fault sequences implemented in theUVM system 200 are described in greater detail below.

During a page fault sequence, the CPU 102 or the PPU 202 may writecommands into the command queue 214 for execution by the copy engine212. Such an approach frees up the CPU 102 or the PPU 202 to executeother tasks while the copy engine 212 reads and executes the commandsstored in the command queue 214, and allow all the commands for a faultsequence to be queued at one time, thereby avoiding the monitoring ofprogress of the fault sequence. Commands executed by the copy engine 212may include, among other things, deleting, creating, or modifying pagetable entries in the PPU page table 208, reading or writing data fromthe system memory 104, and reading or writing data to the PPU memory204.

The fault buffer 216 stores fault buffer entries that indicateinformation related to page faults generated by the PPU 202. Faultbuffer entries may include, for example, the type of access that wasattempted (e.g., read, write, or atomic), the virtual memory address forwhich an attempted access caused a page fault, the virtual addressspace, and an indication of a unit or thread that caused a page fault.In operation, when the PPU 202 causes a page fault, the PPU 202 maywrite a fault buffer entry into the fault buffer 216 to inform the PPUfault handler 215 about the faulting page and the type of access thatcaused the fault. The PPU fault handler 215 then performs actions toremedy the page fault. The fault buffer 216 can store multiple faultsbecause the PPU 202 is executing a plurality of threads, where eachthread can cause a one or more faults due the pipelined nature of thememory accesses of the PPU 202.

Page Fault Sequences

As stated above, in response to receiving a request for translation of avirtual memory address, the CPU MMU 209 generates a page fault if theCPU page table 206 does not include a mapping associated with therequested virtual memory address or does not permit the type of accessbeing requested. Similarly, in response to receiving a request fortranslation of a virtual memory address, the PPU MMU 213 generates apage fault if the PPU page table 208 does not include a mappingassociated with the requested virtual memory address or does not permitthe type of access being requested. When the CPU MMU 209 or the PPU MMU213 generates a page fault, the thread that requested the data at thevirtual memory address stalls, and a “local fault handler”—the CPU faulthandler 211 for the CPU 102 or the PPU fault handler 215 for the PPU202—attempts to remedy the page fault by executing a “page faultsequence.” As indicated above, a page fault sequence includes a seriesof operations that enable the faulting unit (i.e., the unit—either theCPU 102 or the PPU 202—that caused the page fault) to access the dataassociated with the virtual memory address. After the page faultsequence completes, the thread that requested the data via the virtualmemory address resumes execution. In some embodiments, fault recovery issimplified by allowing the fault recovery logic to track faulting memoryaccesses as opposed to faulting instructions.

The operations executed during a page fault sequence depend on thechange in ownership state or change in access permissions, if any, thatthe memory page associated with the page fault has to undergo. Thetransition from a current ownership state to a new ownership state, or achange in access permissions, may be part of the page fault sequence. Insome instances, migrating the memory page associated with the page faultfrom the system memory 104 to the PPU memory 204 is also part of thepage fault sequence. In other instances, migrating the memory pageassociated with the page fault from the PPU memory 204 to the systemmemory 104 is also part of the page fault sequence. Various heuristics,more fully described herein, may be used to configure UVM system 200 tochange memory page ownership state or to migrate memory pages undervarious sets of operating conditions and patterns. Described in greaterdetail below are page fault sequences for the following four memory pageownership state transitions: CPU-owned to CPU-shared, CPU-owned toPPU-owned, PPU-owned to CPU-owned, and PPU-owned to CPU-shared.

A fault by the PPU 202 may initiate a transition from CPU-owned toCPU-shared. Prior to such a transition, a thread executing in the PPU202 attempts to access data at a virtual memory address that is notmapped in the PPU page table 208. This access attempt causes a PPU-basedpage fault, which then causes a fault buffer entry to be written to thefault buffer 216. In response, the PPU fault handler 215 reads the PSD210 entry corresponding to the virtual memory address and identifies thememory page associated with the virtual memory address. After readingthe PSD 210, the PPU fault handler 215 determines that the currentownership state for the memory page associated with the virtual memoryaddress is CPU-owned. Based on the current ownership state as well asother factors, such as usage characteristics for the memory page or thetype of memory access, the PPU fault handler 215 determines that a newownership state for the page should be CPU-shared.

To change the ownership state, the PPU fault handler 215 writes a newentry in the PPU page table 208 corresponding to the virtual memoryaddress and associating the virtual memory address with the memory pageidentified via the PSD 210 entry. The PPU fault handler 215 alsomodifies the PSD 210 entry for that memory page to indicate that theownership state is CPU-shared. In some embodiments, an entry in atranslation look-aside buffer (TLBs) in the PPU 202 is invalidated toaccount for the case where the translation to an invalid page is cached.At this point, the page fault sequence is complete. The ownership statefor the memory page is CPU-shared, meaning that the memory page isaccessible to both the CPU 102 and the PPU 202. Both the CPU page table206 and the PPU page table 208 include entries that associate thevirtual memory address to the memory page.

A fault by the PPU 202 may initiate a transition from CPU-owned toPPU-owned. Prior to such a transition, an operation executing in the PPU202 attempts to access memory at a virtual memory address that is notmapped in the PPU page table 208. This memory access attempt causes aPPU-based page fault, which then causes a fault buffer entry to bewritten to the fault buffer 216. In response, the PPU fault handler 215reads the PSD 210 entry corresponding to the virtual memory address andidentifies the memory page associated with the virtual memory address.After reading the PSD 210, the PPU fault handler 215 determines that thecurrent ownership state for the memory page associated with the virtualmemory address is CPU-owned. Based on the current ownership state, aswell as other factors, such as usage characteristics for the page or thetype of memory access, the PPU fault handler 215 determines that a newownership state for the page is PPU-owned.

The PPU 202 writes a fault buffer entry into fault buffer 216 thatindicates that the PPU 202 generated a page fault, and indicates thevirtual memory address associated with the page fault. The PPU faulthander 215 executing on the CPU 102 reads the fault buffer entry and, inresponse, the CPU 102 removes the mapping in the CPU page table 206associated with the virtual memory address that caused the page fault.The CPU 102 may flush caches before and/or after the mapping is removed.The CPU 102 also writes commands into the command queue 214 instructingthe PPU 202 to copy the page from the system memory 104 into the PPUmemory 204. The copy engine 212 in the PPU 202 reads the commands in thecommand queue 214 and copies the page from the system memory 104 to thePPU memory 204. The PPU 202 writes a page table entry into the PPU pagetable 208 corresponding to the virtual memory address and associatingthe virtual memory address with the newly-copied memory page in the PPUmemory 204. The writing to the PPU page table 208 may be done via thecopy engine 212. Alternatively, the CPU 102 can update the PPU pagetable 208. The PPU fault handler 215 also modifies the PSD 210 entry forthat memory page to indicate that the ownership state is PPU-owned. Insome embodiments, entries in TLBs in the PPU 202 or the CPU 102 may beinvalidated, to account for the case where the translation was cached.At this point, the page fault sequence is complete. The ownership statefor the memory page is PPU-owned, meaning that the memory page isaccessible only to the PPU 202. Only the PPU page table 208 includes anentry that associates the virtual memory address with the memory page.

A fault by the CPU 102 may initiate a transition from PPU-owned toCPU-owned. Prior to such a transition, an operation executing in the CPU102 attempts to access memory at a virtual memory address that is notmapped in the CPU page table 206, which causes a CPU-based page fault.The CPU fault handler 211 reads the PSD 210 entry corresponding to thevirtual memory address and identifies the memory page associated withthe virtual memory address. After reading the PSD 210, the CPU faulthandler 211 determines that the current ownership state for the memorypage associated with the virtual memory address is PPU-owned. Based onthe current ownership state, as well as other factors, such as usagecharacteristics for the page or the type of access, the CPU faulthandler 211 determines that a new ownership state for the page isCPU-owned.

The CPU fault handler 211 changes the ownership state associated withthe memory page to CPU-owned. The CPU fault handler 211 writes a commandinto the command queue 214 to cause the copy engine 212 to remove theentry from the PPU page table 208 that associates the virtual memoryaddress with the memory page. Various TLB entries may be invalidated.The CPU fault handler 211 also copies the memory page from the PPUmemory 204 into the system memory 104, which may be done via the commandqueue 214 and the copy engine 212. The CPU fault handler 211 writes apage table entry into the CPU page table 206 that associates the virtualmemory address with the memory page that is copied into the systemmemory 104. The CPU fault handler 211 also updates the PSD 210 toassociate the virtual memory address with the newly copied memory page.At this point, the page fault sequence is complete. The ownership statefor the memory page is CPU-owned, meaning that the memory page isaccessible only to the CPU 102. Only the CPU page table 206 includes anentry that associates the virtual memory address with the memory page.

A fault by the CPU 102 may initiate a transition from PPU-owned toCPU-shared. Prior to such a transition, an operation executing in theCPU 102 attempts to access memory at a virtual memory address that isnot mapped in the CPU page table 206, which causes a CPU-based pagefault. The CPU fault handler 211 reads the PSD 210 entry correspondingto the virtual memory address and identifies the memory page associatedwith the virtual memory address. After reading the PSD 210, the CPUfault handler 211 determines that the current ownership state for thememory page associated with the virtual memory address is PPU-owned.Based on the current ownership state or the type of access, as well asother factors, such as usage characteristics for the page, the CPU faulthandler 211 determines that a new ownership state for the memory page isCPU-shared.

The CPU fault handler 211 changes the ownership state associated withthe memory page to CPU-shared. The CPU fault handler 211 writes acommand into the command queue 214 to cause the copy engine 212 toremove the entry from the PPU page table 208 that associates the virtualmemory address with the memory page. Various TLB entries may beinvalidated. The CPU fault handler 211 also copies the memory page fromthe PPU memory 204 into the system memory 104. This copy operation maybe done via the command queue 214 and the copy engine 212. The CPU faulthandler 211 then writes a command into the command queue 214 to causethe copy engine 212 to change the entry in PPU page table 208 such thatthe virtual memory address is associated with the memory page in thesystem memory 104. Various TLB entries may be invalidated. The CPU faulthandler 211 writes a page table entry into the CPU page table 206 toassociate the virtual memory address with the memory page in the systemmemory 104. The CPU fault handler 211 also updates the PSD 210 toassociate the virtual memory address with the memory page in systemmemory 104. At this point, the page fault sequence is complete. Theownership state for the page is CPU-shared, and the memory page has beencopied into the system memory 104. The page is accessible to the CPU102, since the CPU page table 206 includes an entry that associates thevirtual memory address with the memory page in the system memory 104.The page is also accessible to the PPU 202, since the PPU page table 208includes an entry that associates the virtual memory address with thememory page in the system memory 104.

Detailed Example of a Page Fault Sequence

With this context, a detailed description of a page fault sequenceexecuted by the PPU fault handler 215 in the event of a transition fromCPU-owned to CPU-shared is now provided to show how atomic operationsand transition states may be used to more effectively manage a pagefault sequence. The page fault sequence is triggered by a PPU 202 threadattempting to access a virtual address for which a mapping does notexist in the PPU page table 208. When a thread attempts to access datavia a virtual memory address, the PPU 202 (specifically, a user-levelthread) requests a translation from the PPU page table 208. A PPU pagefault occurs in response because the PPU page table 208 does not includea mapping associated with the requested virtual memory address.

After the page fault occurs, the thread enters a trap, stalls, and thePPU fault handler 215 executes a page fault sequence. The PPU faulthandler 215 reads the PSD 210 to determine which memory page isassociated with the virtual memory address and to determine the statefor the virtual memory address. The PPU fault handler 215 determines,from the PSD 210, that the ownership state for that memory page isCPU-owned. Consequently, the data requested by the PPU 202 isinaccessible to the PPU 202 via a virtual memory address. Stateinformation for the memory page also indicates that the requested datacannot be migrated to the PPU memory 204.

Based on the state information obtained from the PSD 210, the PPU faulthandler 215 determines that a new state for the memory page should beCPU-shared. The PPU fault handler 215 changes the state to“transitioning to CPU-shared.” This state indicates that the page iscurrently in the process of being transitioned to CPU-shared. When thePPU fault handler 215 runs on a microcontroller in the memory managementunit, then two processors will update the PSD 210 asynchronously, usingatomic compare-and-swap (“CAS”) operations on the PSD 210 to change thestate to “transitioning to GPU visible,” (CPU-shared).

The PPU 202 updates the PPU page table 208 to associate the virtualaddress with the memory page. The PPU 202 also invalidates the TLB cacheentries. Next, the PPU 202 performs another atomic compare-and-swapoperation on the PSD 210 to change the ownership state associated withthe memory page to CPU-shared. Finally, the page fault sequence ends,and the thread that requested the data via the virtual memory addressresumes execution.

UVM System Architecture Variations

Various modifications to the unified virtual memory system 200 arepossible. For example, in some embodiments, after writing a fault bufferentry into the fault buffer 216, the PPU 202 may trigger a CPU interruptto cause the CPU 102 to read fault buffer entries in the fault buffer216 and perform whatever operations are appropriate in response to thefault buffer entry. In other embodiments, the CPU 102 may periodicallypoll the fault buffer 216. In the event that the CPU 102 finds a faultbuffer entry in the fault buffer 216, the CPU 102 executes a series ofoperations in response to the fault buffer entry.

In some embodiments, the system memory 104, rather than the PPU memory204, stores the PPU page table 208. In other embodiments, a single ormultiple-level cache hierarchy, such as a single or multiple-leveltranslation look-aside buffer (TLB) hierarchy (not shown), may beimplemented to cache virtual address translations for either the CPUpage table 206 or the PPU page table 208.

In yet other embodiments, in the event that a thread executing in thePPU 202 causes a PPU fault (a “faulting thread”), the PPU 202 may takeone or more actions. These actions include: stall the entire PPU 202,stall the SM executing the faulting thread, stall the PPU MMU 213, stallonly the faulting thread, or stall one or more levels of TLBs. In someembodiments, after a PPU page fault occurs, and a page fault sequencehas been executed by the unified virtual memory system 200, execution ofthe faulting thread resumes, and the faulting thread attempts, again, toexecute the memory access request that caused the page fault. In someembodiments, stalling at a TLB is done in such a way as to appear as along-latency memory access to the faulting SM or faulting thread,thereby not requiring the SM to do any special operation for a fault.

Finally, in other alternative embodiments, the UVM driver 101 mayinclude instructions that cause the CPU 102 to execute one or moreoperations for managing the UVM system 200 and remedying a page fault,such as accessing the CPU page table 206, the PSD 210, and/or the faultbuffer 216. In other embodiments, an operating system kernel (not shown)may be configured to manage the UVM system 200 and remedy a page faultby accessing the CPU page table 206, the PSD 210, and/or the faultbuffer 216. In yet other embodiments, an operating system kernel mayoperate in conjunction with the UVM driver 101 to manage the UVM system200 and remedy a page fault by accessing the CPU page table 206, the PSD210, and/or the fault buffer 21.

Traffic Tracking Hardware in a UVM System

As also shown in FIG. 2, the PPU 202 includes an access tracking unit220, which includes an optional access cache memory 230. This optionalaccess cache memory 230 is a cached portion of a larger access memorybacking store 235 which may reside in PPU memory 204. Alternatively, theaccess cache memory backing store 235 may reside in system memory 104.

The access tracking unit 220 tracks access operations to various sharedmemory pages by the PPU 202 over communications path 113. Shared memorypages residing in system memory 104 that are accessed often by the PPU202 may be candidates for migration from system memory 104 to PPU memory204. The access tracking unit 220 monitors communications path 113 formemory access operations issued by the PPU 202 that are directed toshared memory pages residing in system memory 104. When the accesstracking unit 220 detects such a memory access operation, the accesstracking unit 220 extracts the page number of the memory accessoperation, where the page number typically includes the leftmost bits ofthe memory address associated with the memory access operation. Theaccess tracking unit 220 records the page numbers associated with suchmemory access operations with a reference count that indicates thenumber of times each shared memory page was accessed by the PPU 202. Theaccess tracking unit 220 stores these page numbers, along with relatedinformation, in the access cache memory 230, as further describedherein.

The access cache memory 230 includes tracking information associatedwith memory access operations to various shared memory pages by the PPU202 over communications path 113.

The access memory backing store 235 likewise includes trackinginformation associated with memory access operations to various sharedmemory pages by the PPU 202 over communications path 113. In cases,where the UVM system 200 includes both an access cache memory 230 and anaccess memory backing store 235, the access cache memory 230 includes acached subset of the tracking entries in the access memory backing store235. In cases where the UVM system 200 includes only an access memorybacking store 235 with no access cache memory 230, the operationsdescribed herein are performed directly on the entries in the accessmemory backing store 235, rather than the entries in the access cachememory 230.

Two operating system operations (OS operations) may be provided inassociation with the access tracking unit 220. The first OS operation isan initialize command that causes the access tracking unit 220 toinitialize the access cache memory 230 by clearing the valid bits forall cache access entries in the access cache memory 230. The initializecommand may also include a limit value as further described herein.Clearing the access cache memory 230 also clears the optional accessmemory backing store 235.

The second OS operation is a read count values command that causes theaccess tracking unit 220 to transmit the contents of the valid accesscache entries in the access cache memory 230 to the requester.Alternatively, the access tracking unit 220 transmits the contents ofall access cache entries in the access cache memory 230 to therequester. For example, if the access cache memory 230 includes sixteenentries, where each entry includes eight bytes per entry, then thereturned data would be 128 bytes of data. The transmitted access cacheentries include accumulated tracking data from the access cache memory230 since the most recent initialize command. The optimal number ofcache access entries in the access cache memory 230 may be determinedempirically. The initialize command and the read count values commandmay be combined into one command that performs the following operationsfor each count value: (1) read the count value; (2) transmit the countvalue; and (3) clear the count value.

If the access tracking unit 220 detects a memory access operation fromthe PPU 202 directed to a shared memory page in system memory 104, thenthe access tracking unit 220 determines whether the access cache memory230 includes a valid access cache entry corresponding to the accessedmemory page. If a valid entry exists for the accessed memory page, thenthe access tracking unit 220 increments the reference count in theaccess cache entry. If a valid entry does not exist for the accessedmemory page, then the access tracking unit 220 selects an unused cacheaccess entry, and stores the page number in the unused entry. The accesstracking unit the initializes the reference count for the unused cacheaccess entry and sets the corresponding valid bit.

Access cache entries associated with high reference counts may becandidates for migration from system memory 104 to PPU memory 204. Theaccess cache memory 230 may be fully associative. In one example, theaccess cache memory 230 could be implemented as a content-addressablememory (CAM), such that a cache access entry with the lowest referencecount could be easily identified. If the access tracking unit 220determines that no unused cache entries are available, the accesstracking unit 220 may invalidate, or evict, the cache access entry withthe lowest reference count. Such an approach approximates a“most-frequently-used” eviction policy for the cache access memory 230.Alternatively, cache access entries may be evicted using any technicallyfeasible approach. Further, the access cache memory 230 may be setassociative, such as is typically used in association with TLBapplications.

In one embodiment, the access tracking unit 220 includes a writablelimit register and a total-accesses counter (not shown). The accesstracking unit 220 increments the total-accesses counter each time thePPU 202 accesses any shared memory page residing in system memory 104.When the total-accesses counter reaches the value stored in the limitregisters, the access tracking unit 220 causes a trap or interrupt tothe operating system. The UVM driver 101 may then issue a read countvalues command to retrieve the contents of the access cache memory 230.The UVM driver 101 may subsequently issue an initialize command to causethe access tracking unit 220 to start another tracking interval. Thevalue in the limit register may be set via a parameter included with theinitialize command.

In one embodiment, the UVM driver 101 may preset any number of cacheaccess entries in the cache access memory 230. In this embodiment, theaccess tracking unit may be prevented from tracking accesses to sharedmemory pages that are accessed frequently by both the CPU 102 and thePPU 202, and, as such, may not be candidates for migration from systemmemory 102 to PPU memory 204.

In another alternative embodiment, the access tracking unit 220 mayaccess or maintain a list of page numbers that are barred from tracking.In this embodiment, when the access tracking unit 220 detects an accessby the PPU 202 to a shared memory page residing in system memory 104,the access tracking unit 220 first compares the page number for thecurrent operation with the list of pages barred from tracking. If thecurrently accessed shared memory page corresponds to a page number inthe list of barred memory pages, then the access tracking unit 220 doesnot store tracking data for the current shared memory access operationin the access cache memory 230. This alternative approach may likewiseprevent the access tracking unit 220 from tracking accesses to sharedmemory pages that are accessed frequently by both the CPU 102 and thePPU 202, and, as such, may not be candidates for migration from systemmemory 102 to PPU memory 204.

FIG. 3 illustrates an access cache memory 300 as maintained by theaccess tracking unit 220 of FIG. 2, according to one embodiment of thepresent invention. The access cache memory 300 functions substantiallythe same as the access cache memory 230 described in conjunction withFIG. 2 except as further described below. As shown, the access cachememory includes access cache entries 320, each access cache entryincluding several fields as identified by the field identifiers 310.

The field identifiers 310 indicate that each access cache memory entry320 includes a page number field 330, a valid bit field 340, and areference count field 350.

The page number field 330 is associated with the memory address of thefirst location of the corresponding shared memory page. Typically, thepage number is the leftmost portion of the memory address specified bythe memory access operation. For example, if memory addresses directedto shared memory are 48-bits wide and each shared memory page is 2¹⁶ or64 k bytes long, then the page number would be the leftmost 32 bits ofthe memory address. In another example, if a shared memory addressincludes 40 bits, and the page size is 4 kB (12 bits of address space),then the page frame would include 40−12=28 bits. In yet another example,if a physical address includes 42 bits, and the page size is 4 kB (12bits of address space), then the page number would include 42−12=30bits.

In some embodiments, each page number field 330 may be associated withthe memory address of the first location of a group of correspondingshared memory pages. For example, if memory addresses directed to sharedmemory are 48-bits wide, each shared memory page is 2¹⁶ or 64 k byteslong, and each group of shared memory pages includes 2⁴ or 16 pages,then the page number field 330 would be 48−16−4=28 bits. Having eachpage number field 330 associated with a group of shared memory pages,rather than a single memory page, may reduce the number of access cachememory entries 320, thereby reducing the hardware needed. In such cases,groups of pages are identified for migration, rather than individualmemory pages.

The valid bit field 340 is a single bit that is clear, or zero, if thecorresponding access cache entry 320 is invalid. The valid bit field 340is set, or one, if the corresponding access cache entry 320 is valid. Ifan access cache entry 320 is valid, then the page number field 330includes a page number that has been tracked by the access tracking unit220 since the most recent initialize command. Likewise, if an accesscache entry 320 is valid, then the reference count field 330 indicatesthe number of times the corresponding page number has been accessedsince the list initialize command.

The reference count field 350 includes a count of the number of timescorresponding page number has been accessed since the last initializecommand. The reference count is typically initialized to zero. However,the reference count may be initialized to any arbitrary value. Each timethe corresponding page is accessed, the reference count is incremented.In some embodiments, the reference count field 350 may be associatedwith a saturating counter (not shown) within the access tracking unit220. In such cases, the reference count field 350 is incremented only ifthe current reference count is less than or equal to a maximum, orsaturation, value.

As shown, the access cache memory 300 includes N access cache entriesnumbered from access cache entry 320(0) through access cache entry320(N−1). Access cache entry 320(0) is a valid cache entry, as indicatedby the ‘1’ in the valid bit field 340. The access cache entry 320(0) isassociated with page number 0x0000_0560 and has been accessed once sincethe most recent initialize command, as indicated by the page numberfield 330 and the reference count field 350, respectively.

Likewise, access cache entry 320(1) is a valid cache entry, as indicatedby the ‘1’ in the valid bit field 340. The access cache entry 320(1) isassociated with page number 0xD00F_FF00 and has been accessed threetimes since the most recent initialize command, as indicated by the pagenumber field 330 and the reference count field 350, respectively. Accesscache entry 320(2) is a valid cache entry, as indicated by the ‘1’ inthe valid bit field 340. The access cache entry 320(2) is associatedwith page number 0x1234_0000 and has been accessed five times since themost recent initialize command, as indicated by the page number field330 and the reference count field 350, respectively. Access cache entry320(3) is a valid cache entry, as indicated by the ‘1’ in the valid bitfield 340. The access cache entry 320(3) is associated with page number0xBCAE_0F00 and has been accessed once since the most recent initializecommand, as indicated by the page number field 330 and the referencecount field 350, respectively

Access cache entries 320(4) 320(N−1) are invalid cache entries, asindicated by the ‘0’ in the valid bit field 340. Accordingly, the pagenumber field 330 and the reference count field 350 for access cacheentries 320(4) 320(N−1) do not contain valid information.

In some embodiments, the valid bit field 340 and the reference countfield 350 may be combined into a single field (not shown). In suchembodiments, the combined field may be set to zero to indicate that thecorresponding access cache entry 320 is invalid. Any non-zero valueindicates that the corresponding access cache entry 320 is valid andspecifies the number of times that the corresponding page, as referencedby the page number fields 330, has been accessed since the most recentinitialize command.

FIGS. 4A-4C set forth a flow diagram of method steps for tracking memorypage accesses in a unified virtual memory system, according to oneembodiment of the present invention. Although the method steps aredescribed in conjunction with the systems of FIGS. 1-3, persons ofordinary skill in the art will understand that any system configured toperform the method steps, in any order, is within the scope of theinvention.

As shown, a method 400 begins at step 402, where the access trackingunit 220 determines whether an initialize command has been received. Ifan initialize command has not been received, then the method 400proceeds to step 404, where the access tracking unit 220 determineswhether a read count values command has been received. If a read countvalues command has not been received, then the method 400 proceeds tostep 406, where the access tracking unit 220 determines whether a sharedmemory access operation has issued from the first processor over thecommunications path 113.

If a shared memory access operation has issued from the first processorover the communications path 113, then the method 400 proceeds to step408, where the access tracking unit 220 determines whether the accesscache memory 230 includes a valid access cache entry for the accessedmemory page. If the access cache memory 230 includes a valid accesscache entry for the accessed memory page, then the method 400 proceedsto step 410, where the access tracking unit 220 increments the referencecount value associated with the access cache entry. In some embodiments,the access tracking unit 220 may increment the reference count valueonly if the reference count value is less than a maximum, or saturation,value. The method 400 then proceeds to step 402, described above.

Returning to step 408, if the access cache memory 230 does not include avalid access cache entry for the accessed memory page, then the method400 proceeds to step 412, where the access tracking unit 220 determineswhether the access cache memory 230 includes an unused access cacheentry. An unused access cache entry may be indicated by an access cacheentry with a cleared valid bit. If the access cache memory 230 does notinclude an unused access cache entry, then the method 400 proceeds tostep 414, where the access tracking unit 220 selects a valid cache entryin the access cache memory 230 to evict. The valid access cache entrymay be selected using any technically feasible method, including,without limitation, an access cache entry with the lowest referencecount, a randomly selected access cache entry, or an access cache entryselected on a round robin basis. Alternatively, the access tracking unit220 may evict no access cache entries. In this latter case, accesses tothe memory page corresponding to the current memory access operation arenot tracked.

At step 416, the access tracking unit 220 clears the valid bit of theselected access cache entry. At step 418, the access tracking unit 220associates the selected access cache entry with the page number of thecurrent shared memory access operation. In so doing, the access trackingunit 220 stores the page number corresponding to the current memoryaccess operation in the page number field of the selected access cacheentry. At step 420, the access tracking unit 220 initializes thereference count field of the selected cache entry. The reference countfield may be initialized to zero or to any other technically feasiblevalue. At step 422, the access tracking unit 220 sets the valid bit ofthe selected access cache entry. The method 400 then proceeds to step402, described above.

Returning to step 412, if the access cache memory 230 includes an unusedaccess cache entry, then the method 400 proceeds to step 413, where theaccess tracking unit 220 selects an invalid cache entry in the accesscache memory 230. As described herein, an invalid cache entry is a cacheentry with a cleared valid bit. Such a cache entry may be consideredunused and available for allocation. The method 400 then proceeds tostep 418, described above.

Returning now to step 406, if a shared memory access operation has notissued from the first processor over the communications path 113, thenthe method 400 proceeds to step 402, described above.

Returning now to step 404, if a read count values command has beenreceived, then the method 400 proceeds to step 426, where the accesstracking unit 220 transmits the access cache entries in the access cachememory 230 to the requester. The method 400 then proceeds to step 402,described above.

Returning now to step 402, if an initialize command has been received,then the method 400 proceeds to step 424, where the access tracking unit220 clears the valid bit for each access cache entry in the access cachememory 230. The method 400 then proceeds to step 402, described above.

In sum, an access tracking unit monitors access operations generated bya first processor, where the memory access operations are directed to ashared memory in the local memory space of a second processor. Thememory access operations monitored by the access tracking unit aretypically performed via a communications path, such as a PCIe bus, thatconnectively couples the first processor and the second processor. Theaccess tracking unit maintains an access cache memory. Each entry of theaccess cache memory includes a page number, a valid bit, and asaturating reference count. The access cache memory may be initializedby an operating system command that clears all the valid bits. When thefirst processor accesses shared memory over the communications path, theaccess tracking unit stores the page number corresponding to the sharedmemory access in an unused access cache entry, sets the valid bit of theentry, and initializes the reference count. Later accesses to the sameshared memory page cause the reference count to increment. Accesses todifferent pages are stored in other entries of the access cache memory.After a measurement period, an operating system may read the contents ofthe access cache memory. Shared memory pages associated with accesscache entries with a high reference count may be candidates formigration from the local memory of the second processor to the localmemory of the first processor.

One advantage of the present invention is that shared memory pages thatare candidates for migrating from one memory space to another arequickly and efficiently identified. The access tracking unit identifiesthese candidate pages by monitoring shared memory accesses over acommunications path. This approach does not disrupt ongoing sharedmemory accesses, as compared with other approaches that induce pagefaults for each shared memory accesses. Shared memory performance isimproved after such candidate pages are migrated, because the firstprocessor can access the candidate pages over low latency local memoryrather than remotely over a communications path.

One embodiment of the invention may be implemented as a program productfor use with a computer system. The program(s) of the program productdefine functions of the embodiments (including the methods describedherein) and can be contained on a variety of computer-readable storagemedia. Illustrative computer-readable storage media include, but are notlimited to: (i) non-writable storage media (e.g., read-only memorydevices within a computer such as compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)disks readable by a CD-ROM drive, flash memory, read only memory (ROM)chips or any type of solid-state non-volatile semiconductor memory) onwhich information is permanently stored; and (ii) writable storage media(e.g., floppy disks within a diskette drive or hard-disk drive or anytype of solid-state random-access semiconductor memory) on whichalterable information is stored.

The invention has been described above with reference to specificembodiments. Persons of ordinary skill in the art, however, willunderstand that various modifications and changes may be made theretowithout departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention asset forth in the appended claims. The foregoing description and drawingsare, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than arestrictive sense.

Therefore, the scope of embodiments of the present invention is setforth in the claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method for tracking memorypage accesses in a unified virtual memory system, the method comprising:determining that a set of memory pages has been accessed by a firstprocessor and a second processor and, in response, barring the set ofmemory pages from being tracked by one or more access counters;detecting that a memory page access for accessing a first memory pagehas been generated by the first processor, wherein the first memory pageresides in a memory that is associated with the second processor;determining that the first memory page is not included in the set ofmemory pages that are barred from being tracked by the one or moreaccess counters; and incrementing a first access counter associated withthe first memory page, wherein the first access counter counts accessesof the first memory page by the first processor.
 2. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first access counteris included in a first entry that resides in a first memory, and thefirst entry is associated with the first memory page.
 3. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein a plurality of entriesthat includes the first entry resides in the first memory, and furthercomprising determining that the first entry is associated with the firstmemory page.
 4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein aplurality of entries that includes the first entry resides in the firstmemory, and further comprising determining that the first entry isunused, and associating the first entry with the first memory page. 5.The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein determining that thefirst entry is unused comprises determining that the first entry has acleared valid bit.
 6. The computer-implemented method of claim 2,wherein a plurality of entries that includes the first entry resides inthe first memory, and further comprising determining that none of theentries included in the plurality of entries is unused, selecting thefirst entry to evict, clearing a valid bit associated with the firstentry, and associating the first entry with the first memory page. 7.The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein selecting the firstentry to evict comprises determining that the first entry has a loweraccess count than any other entry included in the plurality of entries.8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein selecting thefirst entry to evict comprises selecting the first entry on around-robin basis.
 9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1,further comprising determining that the first memory page should bemigrated from the memory associated with the second processor to amemory associated with the first processor based on a value of the firstaccess counter, and causing the first memory page to be migrated fromthe memory associated with the second processor to the memory associatedwith the first processor.
 10. A system for tracking memory page accessesin a unified virtual memory architecture, the system comprising: acentral processing unit; a system memory coupled to the centralprocessing unit; a parallel processing unit; a local memory coupled tothe parallel processing unit; and an access tracker that is included inthe parallel processing unit and, during operation, performs the stepsof: detecting that a memory page access for accessing a first memorypage stored in the system memory has been generated by the parallelprocessing unit, determining that the first memory page is not includedin a set of memory pages that have been barred from being tracked by oneor more access counters in response to the set of memory pages beingaccessed by both the central processing unit and the parallel processingunit, and incrementing a first access counter associated with the firstmemory page, wherein the first access counter counts accesses of thefirst memory page by the parallel processing unit.